KATSEYE discuss working with Ed Sheeran, new documentary and EP: ‘We sound more mature’

The upcoming KATSEYE documentary WILD HEARTS opens with a grand spectacle, as tens of thousands pack into the Sahara Stage at Coachella to watch the global girl group perform.

Despite the viral moments, chart success and millions of fans, the performance felt like a moment which cemented their place as pop sensations as they commanded the stage through their dynamic choreography and charismatic and confident stage presence.

KATSEYE – made up of members Daniela, Lara, Megan and Yoonchae – first appeared on the 2023 reality show The Debut: Dream Academy, a collaboration between HYBE and Geffen Records to form a global girl group. Member Sophia Laforteza, who wasn’t present for our interview, announced last week that she would be stepping away from the group for mental health reasons. She follows bandmate Manon Bannerman, who announced a hiatus from the band earlier this year.

In the years that followed their formation, the group took the world by storm with hits such as ‘Pinky Up’ and ‘Gnarly’, which became both popular and divisive for their maximalist approach to pop music.

Now the group return with their third English EP, WILD, which promises to showcase their growing maturity through a more hands-on approach to the creative process as they reveal their most authentic selves.

Whilst watching KATSEYE: WILD HEARTS, did you get a new perspective on your journey so far? 

Lara: A lesson I’ve learned recently is that you have to really step out of something to be able to see it for what it is. Taking that hour and a half to step out of our jobs and sit and watch this film makes me see it through the perspective of a fan, which is so beautiful. When you’re in the midst of it, it’s very easy to forget how iconic what we’re part of is. [It also reinforces] how important and needed KATSEYE is in the music industry, entertainment and the world in general. Watching it made me even more grateful for what we’re a part of and even happier to be in KATSEYE.

Yoonchae: She said it so well. Also, while I was watching the movie, I realised we all know each other so well, and it was really interesting to see what our members were thinking about each other. 

The movie opens with Coachella, talk us through that moment! Did it put into perspective just how big the KATSEYE phenomenon is?

Megan: I think Coachella was probably one of our favourite performances we’ve ever done. We’d all been looking forward to that stage ever since we debuted, so being there was such a dream come true. While we were performing, we didn’t realise how many people had come to our set or just how big it was. Once we stepped off stage and looked at it from a fan’s perspective, we thought, “Wow, there are so many people.” We don’t truly understand the impact we have until we step outside of it, like Lara said. It was really touching, inspiring and motivating to see how many people supported us and came to our set. It lit a fire in us to keep going, be even more excited for what’s next and keep pushing forward.

How does your new EP, Wild, show a new side of KATSEYE and reflect the direction you’re heading as a group?

Lara: I feel like Wild is a more convicted version of us. It comes much more directly from us. It is more authentically our stories and our voices. Everything feels like a beautiful evolution from where we were and where we left off with “Beautiful Chaos”. When you listen to it, you’ll hear that we sound more mature and that the music feels fuller and cooler. It’s really just our growth.

Did the studio sessions have a different feel to them because it allowed for more maturity and vulnerability than previous releases?

Lara: One thousand per cent. Even the way it was created was different and having a song written by me on this project is a huge step for all of us. It opens the door for that to happen more and more in the future. I also feel like our voices sound much more distinct from one another now. You can really recognise each girl individually and I think that’s an amazing thing. The whole process was definitely different from usual.

Which song do you think captures that maturity the most?

Daniela: I think ‘Unloveu’ is definitely something we’ve never done before. Lara wrote the song and it’s really beautiful and it shows a more mature side of KATSEYE. ‘Animal’ is also really cute but iIt’s still playful. But honestly, all of the songs are an evolution of what KATSEYE used to be. They all feel much more mature and much more authentic and that’s reflected not just through the music itself but through the concepts as well.

Ed Sheeran co-wrote ‘Animal’ – do you remember the moment you first heard this was in the works? 

Megan: We first heard about this single when we met him at the NRJ Music Awards in France. We were just so excited. We heard that Ed had written a song for us and thought, “Are you kidding me? Ed Sheeran? THE Ed Sheeran?!” We were fully in. We couldn’t wait to get into the studio, record it and see what KATSEYE could bring to the song and how to make it our own. The whole experience was so great and we couldn’t be happier with how it turned out. 

Were there any lessons you took from working with Ed? He’s one of the biggest artists in the world.

Lara: Ed is amazing. He leads with so much kindness and he inspires us so much and always has,  not just as an artist but as an incredible songwriter and musician. Even just the idea of having a song with him still feels ridiculous for us, especially this early in our careers. It’s such an honour. He leads with so much grace and that’s a trait we all hope to carry with us so deeply throughout our careers. He’s just awesome and we’re very grateful. 

You will bring this album to life with the upcoming tour, which includes two nights at London’s 02 Arena in September. What kind of journey do you want to take fans on with this tour? 

Megan: We’re playing arenas so we’re definitely bringing a lot of energy. More than anything, it’s about the vibes and the energy. We’re going to give it everything we’ve got and we can’t wait.

In rehearsals, how do you prepare differently for arenas compared to theatres?

Daniela: We’ve performed in arenas before and in some ways they’re less scary because they’re not as intimate. You can’t see everyone’s face. I love intimate shows but with a bigger crowd and a bigger stage, you want to reach the people all the way at the back. When you’re rehearsing, you make sure you’re performing as loud and big as possible so even the person in the last row feels connected. It’s really exciting. This is our first arena tour, so it’s kind of crazy.

Megan: With any rehearsal, whether it’s for a festival, arenas or theatres, we always try to give one hundred per cent. For rehearsals, we want to already try to tap into who we’re going to be on stage. Whether that means coming to rehearsals in a really cute, hot outfit that makes me feel myself so I can tap into that vibe and character. We have so much fun in rehearsals. We take it seriously, but at the same time we love what we do. We love singing, we love dancing so we’re constantly coming up with new ideas and new vibes. By the time the show comes around, we just know it’s going to be so much fun.